Gabriel Martinelli
Clever movement and late runs will present a threat
Freddie Ljungberg has not had the best of starts to his managerial career, winning only one of his four games in charge. But he has already altered Arsenal’s style of play and it will take time for other things to work.
Apart from reverting to a 4-2-3-1, the most obvious changes made have been in his selection of players. The inclusion of Gabriel Martinelli, a forward signed from Ituano in the Brazilian fourth division for £6 million in the summer, might be the kind of move that will buy the manager an extra game or two. Martinelli has scored eight goals in 15 games (eight from the bench) this season, making him one the top-scoring teenagers in Europe’s top five leagues.
With a goal on his first Premier League start, in the 3-1 win over West Ham, and a crucial assist to rescue a 2-2 draw against Standard Liege this week, the 18-year-old has done more to affect games in recent weeks than many more seasoned players to have worn an Arsenal shirt, and may have secured a more regular spot as a result. Young players often
need to prove they are worthy of a chance from limited opportunities and Martinelli has certainly done that. Ljungberg’s decision to leave the Brazilian out of his starting XI for the draw with Liege suggests the plan might be to start with him tomorrow against Manchester City.
If he does start, Martinelli will play on the left as an inside-forward (his best position according to the now departed Unai Emery), cutting in on to his stronger foot and arriving in dangerous positions to finish moves, as he did in the victory over West Ham last Monday.
Martinelli’s goal in that match was his first since a brace against Liverpool in the 5-5 Carabao Cup draw (and penalty shoot-out defeat) in October, a performance so exciting that Jurgen Klopp declared him to be a “talent of the century, an incredible striker”.
Much of Pep Guardiola’s focus will be on preventing
Pierre-emerick Aubameyang from terrorising his vulnerable defence, but City must be acutely aware of Martinelli’s whereabouts, because his off-the-ball movement is so clever.
Kyle Walker or Joao Cancelo would line up one v one with Martinelli on the wing, but as he drifts inside he then becomes someone else’s problem, something Ljungberg will encourage.
There are few better to learn from about timing late runs into the box than the Arsenal interim manager.
“He knows where the danger is, where the space is,” said former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie of Martinelli, after seeing him score in the 3-2 win over Vitoria Guimaraes in October.
“What I like about him is his link-up play, he looks lively, he looks technical, he looks very good to me,” Van Persie said. “It’s a joy watching him.”